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moo
Moo, the original character designer for the Eternal Fantasy series, is returning to fully redesign all characters for the Switch remakes of both the first and second entries.
Synthesized from 30
Yomimono stories · updated
5d ago
Moo is the original character designer for the Eternal Fantasy series, a friendship-raising simulation franchise originally released in the late 1990s. Taito announced two Switch remakes of the series: Eternal Fantasy Revival, which launched in December 2025, and Eternal Fantasy 2nd Album Revival, scheduled for spring 2027. Both remakes feature fully renewed character graphics by moo, the original designer.
For the second remake, announced in June 2026, moo returns to redesign all characters from the original 1998 game. The first remake, which launched six months earlier, also used moo's renewed graphics. The remakes keep the original story and voice cast but update the visuals, with moo handling the new character designs. The two announcements confirm that moo remains the key visual artist for the series' revival.
Key facts
- Role
- Original character designer for the Eternal Fantasy series. ↗
- Second remake
- Moo returns to fully redesign all characters for Eternal Fantasy 2nd Album Revival on Switch. ↗
- Graphics work
- Moo provided fully renewed character graphics for the Switch remake Yuukyuu Gensoukyoku 2nd Album Revival. ↗
Timeline
- Jul 7, 2026 Yuukyuu Gensoukyoku 2nd Album Revival Launches March 18, 2027 on Switch
- Jul 7, 2026 Moonlight Peaks Launches on Steam, Switch 2 and Switch Release Set for July 9
- Jul 7, 2026 MoonHack Announced as Dystopian Rhythm Action ADV for 2027 Release
- Jul 1, 2026 The Last Hour of an Epic TO THE MOON RPG Gets a Trailer, Summer 2027 Release
- Jun 30, 2026 Moon Crashers, A Low-Gravity Co-Op Survival Craft Game, Launches July 28 On Steam
- Jun 27, 2026 SAVI's Moon Witch Police Marshmallow Gets 1/6 Scale Figure
- Jun 27, 2026 Wild Gate Gets Its Last Major Update In July
- Jun 27, 2026 Inori Pens New Yuri Novel Poison for the Moon, Medicine for the Night
- Jun 26, 2026 Live-Action In the Clear Moonlit Dusk Film Casts Yūki Yoda, Naohito Fujiki
- Jun 24, 2026 Arcade Archives 2 Moon Shuttle Launches June 25 on Switch 2, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC
- Jun 23, 2026 Sailor Moon Original Illustration Goods Launch at FamilyMart on June 30
- Jun 22, 2026 Moonlight Pale Console Ports Announced, Physical Editions for PS5 and Switch Detailed
- Jun 22, 2026 Three Gundam Manga Volumes Set for June 26 Release
- Jun 19, 2026 Soulingtoy's The Sin of Dark Moon Plastic Model Ships in September 2026
- Jun 18, 2026 Shape of Dreams Demo Updated 70 Times Over 2 Years, Hit 1 Million Sales
- Jun 18, 2026 MOONDROP Announces 24-Driver Full BA Earphone Armature Art 24
- Jun 16, 2026 Vampire Princess Game 'Bathory - Heritage of Blood' Gets Japanese Support, 2027 PC Release
- Jun 15, 2026 Moomin and Yogibo Launch Vintage Pattern and Nyoro Nyoro Collaboration Products
- Jun 15, 2026 ProbablyMonsters Brings Two New Games to Summer Game Fest Play Days
- Jun 11, 2026 Eternal Fantasy 2nd Album Revival Announced for Switch in Spring 2027
- Jun 9, 2026 Director Toshiro Ito Screens 'StageIV' After Stage 4 Lung Cancer Diagnosis
- Jun 8, 2026 Live-Action In the Clear Moonlit Dusk Film Trailer Adds Five Cast Members
- Jun 8, 2026 Roguelite Fighting Game 'Shot One Fighters' Gets Playable Demo at Summer Game Fest
- Jun 8, 2026 Screenbound Demo Combines 2D and 3D Platforming in a Single Gaze
- Jun 8, 2026 Moonlight Peaks Demo Now Live on Steam Ahead of July Release
- Jun 6, 2026 Moonsigil Atlas: The Moon's Seal Review: A Tile-Laying Deck-Builder With a Spatial Twist
- Jun 5, 2026 Kim Mu-Yeol Stars in Netflix School Action Drama 'The Iron Hammer Teacher'
- Jun 5, 2026 Omori Lead Programmer Cachi Córdova Launches Moonlight Pale Kickstarter
- Jun 4, 2026 Creative Katana V2X Speaker Vulnerability Lets Attackers Hack PCs Via Bluetooth
- Jun 3, 2026 TOMOO Performs Theme Song for 33rd Crayon Shin-chan Film
Synthesized by Yomimono from the cited Yomimono stories below, each itself
sourced, then editorially reviewed. Every
fact links the story it came from.
All coverage
10h ago
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1d ago
4Gamer's weekly Steam Square column for July 11, 2026, highlights new and updated titles on Steam. The biggest story is Palworld's official 1.0 release, adding 72 new Pals and revamping multiple systems. Other notable entries include the healing sim Cat Mail Co., the solo-developed RPG Veritas Tales, the vampire life sim Moonlight Peaks, and the remake Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced.
1d ago
The official website for the live-action film of Mika Yamamori's In the Clear Moonlit Dusk manga released a new trailer on Thursday. The trailer announces and previews the theme song "Moonlit" by Naniwa Danshi. The film stars Shunsuke Michieda and Seira Anzai, opens in Japan on October 23, and is directed by Kentarō Takemura.
3d ago
Project Moon's Limbus Company reached a new concurrent player peak of 310,000 during the 9th Walpurgis Night event on July 9, 2026. The surge overwhelmed servers, causing instability. The developer announced it would distribute 1,300 Lunacy as both an apology for the issues and a celebration of the record. The game's player base has grown with each seasonal event, with previous peaks rising from 12,000 in the first Walpurgis Night to this new high.
4d ago
Amazon Kindle has launched a large-scale sale offering up to 50% points back on select Kadokawa manga titles, running from July 7 through July 13 for the Kadokawa campaign and until July 23 for the Summer Super Point Fair. The promotion coincides with Amazon Prime Day and covers dozens of series, including Delicious in Dungeon, Tsukihime: A Piece of Blue Glass Moon, Nichijou, Persona 3, Persona 4, Persona 5: Mementos Mission, and Gunslinger Girl. For Delicious in Dungeon, all 14 volumes (excluding volume 10) are eligible; buying the full set costs 10,742 yen and yields 5,012 yen in points. The Delicious in Dungeon World Guide: Adventurer's Bible Complete Edition and Ryoko Kui's sketchbook Daydream Hour are also included. The Persona manga adaptations are similarly discounted: all 11 volumes of Persona 3 cost 6,897 yen with 3,454 points back, all 13 volumes of Persona 4 cost 8,173 yen with 4,092 points back, and all 3 volumes of Persona 5: Mementos Mission cost 2,057 yen with 1,029 points back. Other notable titles in the sale include Fate/stay night, Fate/Zero, Today's Menu for the Emiya Family, A Bride's Story, Neon Genesis Evangelion, The Saga of Tanya the Evil, Erased, Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation, and The Eminence in Shadow.
5d ago
Hyper Games CEO Are Sundnes said in an interview that when the studio started making a Moomin game, he did not know the franchise was so popular in Japan. The team's sequel, Moomin Troll: Winter's Warmth, released on April 28, is a puzzle adventure where Moomin wakes from hibernation too early. Sundnes noted that Japanese players became the studio's most important audience, a discovery that shaped their development approach.
5d ago
Castello has started a playtest for the cooperative game Moon Crashers on Steam. The playtest runs for several weeks and allows up to four players to crash-land on the moon, gather wreckage and resources, and build a rocket to return to Earth. Players use jetpacks and grappling hooks to explore via buggy, and a failed weld can cause an explosion. The developer is collecting feedback through a short survey, and streaming is permitted with a disclaimer. The full game is scheduled for release on July 28, 2026.
5d ago
Taito announced on July 7, 2026 that the Nintendo Switch remake Yuukyuu Gensoukyoku 2nd Album Revival will release on March 18, 2027. The regular edition costs 9,680 yen and the special edition costs 25,080 yen, both tax included. The game is a remake of the 1998 friendship-raising simulation Yuukyuu Gensoukyoku 2nd Album, the second entry in the series. It keeps the original story and character voices but features fully renewed character graphics by moo, the original character designer. The special edition includes a download code for Yuukyuu Gensoukyoku Ensemble 2 Re:R, a port of the 1999 fan disc with renewed graphics and visuals. That port includes self-cover versions of the theme songs by original composer and singer Aki Hata. Amazon will offer a limited pre-order bonus from July 10 to July 13, 2026: a download code for a faithful port of the original 1998 game. The bonus code may later be distributed separately with changes.
5d ago
XSEED Games and Marvelous Europe released the vampire life simulation game Moonlight Peaks on PC via Steam on July 7, 2026. The game, developed by Little Chicken, is set in the mysterious town of Moonlight Peaks, where residents include werewolves, witches, and mermaids. Players take on the role of a vampire who leaves their family to prove that the undead can live a fulfilling life. Core gameplay involves renovating a haunted mansion, farming magical crops, raising mysterious livestock, and brewing potions. Over 20 romanceable characters are available, and players can also fish, gather, embroider, arrange flowers, and play card games. The regular price is 4,900 yen, with a 15% launch discount to 4,165 yen until July 14. A Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 version, published by Clouded Leopard Entertainment, is scheduled for release on July 9. The game is also listed on Google Play Games for PC.
5d ago
Astro Production officially announced MoonHack on July 7, 2026, as the first title under its new indie game brand ASTRA. The game is an emotional cyber noir adventure with rhythm action elements, set in the year 2125 in a society where emotions, love, and creativity are managed by AI. Players follow Tsukuyomi Kaguya, an illegal old-style AI girl, and other characters branded as criminals for their humanity, as they rebel by rewriting the world's rules through song. MoonHack is scheduled for release on PC via Steam in 2027. The character design is handled by illustrator Noyu, and the music is produced by Ukiyone. A teaser promotional video featuring the song 'DANCE ALL NIGHT' was released alongside the announcement. The voice cast includes Ariyo Hanami as Tsukuyomi Kaguya. The scenario is written by Shin Kedōin, known for the Corpse Party series. The game was previously teased under the working title 'Humanity Optimization Plan Eden Protocol - Order of 2125' before an in-universe hack of its official X account led to the MoonHack reveal.
Jul 1
Serenity Forge and Freebird Games released a new trailer for 'The Last Hour of an Epic TO THE MOON RPG', the final chapter of the To The Moon series. The turn-based RPG has players load a 999-hour save file and play the last hour. It launches summer 2027, with a demo at Steam Next Fest in October 2026.
Jun 30
Developer Castello announced that Moon Crashers, a lunar survival craft game with online co-op for up to four players, will launch on PC via Steam on July 28. Players explore the moon, gather resources, build a rocket, and contend with low-gravity physics that cause accidental teammate launches and vehicle rollovers.
Jun 27
Illustrator SAVI's original character Moon Witch Police Marshmallow is now a 1/6 scale painted complete figure from Hobbysakura. Pre-orders are open at Rakuten Books in regular and deluxe editions, with the deluxe including a bonus item. Prices are 50,736 yen and 54,758 yen respectively.
Jun 27
Moonshot Games announced Patch 1.5.4 for Wild Gate, calling it the game's last major update. Despite adding new modes, characters, and an Xbox Game Pass launch, the team could not grow the player base enough to sustain development. The service continues with bug fixes and events.
Jun 27
Inori, author of I'm in Love with the Villainess, is writing a new yuri light novel series titled Poison for the Moon, Medicine for the Night-An Assassin Who Longs for Death and a Vampire Marked for Death. German publisher Dokico announced the series under its Yurico project, with the first volume releasing digitally worldwide in December in German, Japanese, and English. Komizuki provides illustrations, with guest art by Fly and Aroa.
Jun 26
The live-action film adaptation of Mika Yamamori's manga "In the Clear Moonlit Dusk" has added two new cast members. Former Nogizaka46 member Yūki Yoda will play Yoshiko, the childhood friend of protagonist Kohaku Ichimura. Naohito Fujiki will portray Seiichi Takiguchi, the father of the other lead Yoi Takiguchi and the owner of a curry restaurant called "Nasu Oyaji." The film stars Shunsuke Michieda as Kohaku Ichimura and Seira Anzai as Yoi Takiguchi, with additional cast including Rintarō Mizusawa, Yuna Hoshino, Sayu Suzukawa, Takato Ōkura, and Tatsumi Asa. Kentarō Takemura is directing from a script by Yuichi Tokunaga, with music by Shū Kanematsu. TBS TV is overseeing production at TBS Sparkle, and TOHO is distributing. The film is scheduled to open in Japan on October 23. The manga, which began serialization in 2020 in Kodansha's Dessert magazine, has 10 compiled volumes and received an anime adaptation that premiered in January.
Jun 24
Hamster Corporation will release 'Arcade Archives 2 Moon Shuttle' on June 25, 2026 for Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. The 1981 Nichibutsu shooting game returns with new features including rewind, save data, and online rankings. Owners of the previous Switch or PS4 version can purchase at a discounted price of 330 yen.
Jun 23
New original illustration goods for Sailor Moon, featuring the Super Sailor 10 soldiers in Smile and Kiss versions, will be released sequentially from June 30, 2026. The lineup includes phone tabs and straps, clear cards, aurora clear files, and an A5 binder, available at Sailor Moon store and select FamilyMart stores.
Jun 22
Blue Lily announced that its survival horror game Moonlight Pale will launch on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation 4 in Q4 2026 or Q1 2027. Physical editions for PS5 and Switch are planned. The Kickstarter campaign has reached all initial stretch goals, funding the console ports. A new stretch goal for Japanese and Spanish voice support is set at $85,000.
Jun 22
Dengeki Hobby Web reports that Mobile Suit Moon Gundam Vol. 16, Mobile Suit Gundam Eight Vol. 2, and Mobile Suit Crossbone Gundam: Zeolover Vol. 3 will all be released on June 26, 2026. Pre-orders are open on Amazon.co.jp for both Kindle and print editions.
Jun 19
Chinese manufacturer Soulingtoy's 1/12 scale plastic model kit "The Sin of Dark Moon" will be distributed in Japan by Doyusha starting September 2026. The set includes over 1,000 parts, two figures, and interactive battle effect parts compatible with the earlier "Daytime Meteor" kit. Price is 20,680 yen.
Jun 18
Sim Eun-seop, CEO and lead programmer of Lizard Smoothie, presented a case study at NEXON's NDC26 on how the indie game Shape of Dreams sold 1 million copies within three months of its September 2024 Steam release. The team, two engineers with no art background, focused on gameplay and used a free demo as a primary marketing tool, updating it roughly 70 times over 2 years and 9 months. Data collection tools were built in to track player behavior, leading to key changes like adding WASD controls after a focus group test showed demand, and nerfing early enemy attacks that caused 45-50% death rates in the first stages.
Jun 18
MOONDROP will release the Armature Art 24 (XTM-AA24), a canal-type earphone with 24 balanced armature drivers per side, on June 18. The full BA model uses a patented 16-driver low-frequency module and custom parts. It is the first product under the new Armature Art line within the XTM Series.
Jun 16
Moonana's 2D action game 'Bathory - Heritage of Blood' will support Japanese, as revealed on its Steam page. Inspired by Castlevania and Gothic literature, it follows vampire princess Ursula Bathory as she fights her mother for the Blood Throne. Combat consumes life force but blood restores it. Release is set for 2027 on PC.
Jun 15
Moomin and Yogibo have released two new collaboration products: a Yogibo Max with a vintage pattern designed by Tove Jansson, and a Yogibo Support shaped like the character Nyoro Nyoro. Pre-orders opened June 15, 2026 at the Moomin Shop Rakuten Market Store, with delivery by August 9.
Jun 15
ProbablyMonsters, the independent game company founded by former Bungie CEO Harold Ryan, showed two new titles at Summer Game Fest Play Days 2026 in Los Angeles. Nekome: Nazi Hunter is a stealth revenge action game set in 1941, and Crimson Moon is a bloody gothic action RPG. Both games reflect the company's focus on AA games with AAA sensibilities.
Jun 11
Taito announced on June 11 that it will release 'Eternal Fantasy 2nd Album Revival,' a remake of the 1998 friendship-building simulation game, for Nintendo Switch in spring 2027. The game is the sequel to 'Eternal Fantasy Revival,' which launched in December 2025. As with the first remake, original character designer moo returns to fully redesign all characters. Development is handled by Bridge Inc., which includes many staff members who worked on the original. The story is set in the fantasy town of Enfield, where the protagonist is the sole member of a vigilante third squad on the verge of disbandment. Players recruit allies over one in-game year, choosing three companions from ten main characters. The narrative branches based on choices, leading to individual endings focused on deepening friendship rather than romance. Specific gameplay improvements have not yet been detailed. A follow-and-retweet campaign on the official X account is running to commemorate the announcement. Voice actor Ryotaro Okiayu, who voiced Albert Corein in the original, appeared on the web radio show 'Takuma Terashima's UQ Night' on the day of the announcement.
Jun 9
Director Toshiro Ito, known for the 1987 independent film 'Gondola,' will hold an emergency screening of his second directorial work 'StageIV' on June 26, 2026 at Theatre Shinjuku. The film follows his real battle with stage 4 lung cancer alongside his wife, actress Mirei Asaoka, and is funded through a crowdfunding campaign on CAMPFIRE.
Jun 8
The live-action film adaptation of Mika Yamamori's manga In the Clear Moonlit Dusk revealed a new trailer on Monday, announcing five additional cast members. The film stars Shunsuke Michieda and Seira Anzai, opens in Japan on October 23, and is directed by Kentarō Takemura.
Jun 8
Red Moon Workshop's 'Shot One Fighters' was shown in a playable demo at Summer Game Fest: Play Days. The roguelite fighting game features a branching map, over 100 moves and artifacts, and a story about a fighter named Volley entering the Void to save a friend. Fighting game veterans Justin Wong and JMCrofts are involved in tuning the combat. A Kickstarter campaign is planned.
Jun 8
A demo of 'Screenbound,' a Metroidvania that synchronizes a 3D first-person world with a 2D side-scrolling screen on a virtual handheld console, was playable at Summer Game Fest. The game forces players to reconcile contradictory perspectives, as obstacles and items appear differently in each view. Crescent Moon Games develops it with Radical Forge and Digital Pajamas. A Steam demo is available.
Jun 8
Little Chicken and XSEED Games have released a new demo for Moonlight Peaks on Steam. The vampire life simulation game, set in a town of werewolves, witches, and mermaids, launches in full on July 8, 2026. Players build a gothic farm, learn magic, and romance over 20 characters.
Jun 6
Game Spark's play report on the newly released PC deck-building roguelike 'Moonsigil Atlas: The Moon's Seal' finds a game that closely follows 'Slay the Spire' but replaces cards with tiles that must be physically fitted onto a triangular board. The tile system adds strategic depth but also mental overhead, and the inorganic art makes effects hard to read at a glance.
Jun 5
Netflix began streaming the Korean drama 'The Iron Hammer Teacher' on June 5. The series stars Kim Mu-yeol as a supervisor from the Korean Education Authority Protection Bureau who cracks down on corrupt schools. It is based on a webtoon by Choi Young-taek and Han Ga-ram, with a script by Lee Nam-gyu and direction by Hong Jong-chan.
Jun 5
Blue Lily, the two-person indie studio founded by OMORI lead programmer Cachi Córdova, has launched a Kickstarter campaign for Moonlight Pale, a hand-drawn survival horror game set in a late-1800s female seminary. The campaign has raised roughly $15,000 of its $16,000 goal as of press time.
Jun 4
Security researcher Rasmus Moorats discovered that Creative's Katana V2X sound system can be attacked via Bluetooth from up to 15 meters away, allowing malicious firmware to be written to the device. The exploit, called Pwnd Blaster, could turn the speaker into an eavesdropping device or a keyboard input tool. Creative did not patch the vulnerability.
Jun 3
The 33rd film in the Crayon Shin-chan movie series, titled "Crayon Shin-chan: Mysterious! My Yokai Vacation," will feature a theme song by singer-songwriter TOMOO. The song, titled "Otona ni Nattara" ("When I Grow Up"), was written specifically for the film. Alongside the announcement, the main trailer and poster visual were released on June 3 and June 4, 2026. The trailer shows the Nohara family wandering into a forbidden yokai country, where Hiroshi and Misae have their "oshiri-dama" (butt-shaped objects) removed and are transformed into yokai. Shinnosuke and the family, aided by friendly yokai, must retrieve the oshiri-dama before midnight the next day to restore his parents. Guest voice actors include Ito Sairi as the nine-tailed fox yokai Yako, who guides the family, and members of the comedy duo Mayurika as obstructive yokai. The film is directed by Masaki Watanabe, with a screenplay by Yoshiko Nakamura. It is scheduled for release on July 31, 2026, distributed by Toho.
Jun 3
UK-based developer Moonana announced Bathory - Heritage of Blood, a 2D action game inspired by Castlevania and Gothic literature. Players control vampire princess Ursula Bathory as she returns to reclaim the Blood Throne from her mother, Regent Queen Elizabeth Bathory. Combat consumes life force but restores it through enemy blood. The game is planned for a 2027 release.
Jun 2
The Marvel drama Moon Knight, starring Oscar Isaac, is available for unlimited streaming only on Disney+ in Japan as of June 2026. Other major services including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and U-Next do not carry the series. The article also notes the upcoming Spider-Man: Brand New Day film release.
May 31
A survey commissioned by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry estimated that sales of counterfeit anime and other character products caused ¥4.7 trillion (US$30.4 billion) in financial damages in 2025. The figure is the first to measure the impact of piracy on the merchandise market, as previous editions of the survey only calculated damages from digital content piracy. The survey was conducted by advisory firm PwC Consulting on behalf of the Content Overseas Distribution Association. In a separate finding, internet monitoring firm Adish identified at least 841 counterfeit anime merchandise items with prices totaling ¥22.2 million (US$140,000) being sold online for five top anime airing in the second quarter of 2025. The report also noted that overseas licensees struggle to combat counterfeits because anime companies often lack sufficient chain of title documentation to submit infringement claims. Separately, the newsletter reported that Aniplex acquired anime production planning company Egg Firm, and that a permanent Sailor Moon stage musical production will begin performances in April at Tokyo's Shinagawa Prince Hotel.
May 31
Game Spark published a hands-on report for DREADMOOR, a dark first-person fishing adventure game, from the BitSummit PUNCH indie game festival held in Kyoto from May 22 to 24, 2026. The game is developed by Dream Dock and published by Digital Vortex Entertainment. Set in a flooded world where most of humanity has sunk beneath the sea, players pilot a fishing boat through wetlands and shipwrecks. The demo focused on the core fishing system, which uses real-time controls that create a tense back-and-forth with the environment. Fish pulled from the murky water have grotesque, mutated designs. Caught fish can be traded with scattered settlements and mysterious merchants for higher prices. The full game will also include a crafting system for making special bait, weapons, and medicine from scrap metal collected in abandoned buildings, plus real-time combat against monsters that attack from sea and land. DREADMOOR is scheduled for release on PC via Steam in the fourth quarter of 2026.
May 31
Anime Feminist published a long-form analysis on March 4, 2026, examining the history and narrative function of genderbent characters in the Fate franchise, from its first installment Fate/stay night (2004) through Fate/Grand Order (2015-present). The piece argues that the series' practice of reimagining historical male figures as women is not merely a marketing ploy but frequently serves character development and thematic exploration of identity, personhood, and the cost of surrendering oneself to an ideal. The analysis focuses on King Arthur, the franchise's first genderbent character, whose identity as a woman is central to her arc and her relationship with protagonist Shirou Emiya. The article also examines later characters like Mordred, Nero Claudius, and Okita Souji as self-referential iterations on the original Saber design, and discusses how the series uses its genderbending framework to spotlight lesser-known historical women, such as Katsushika Ōi and Tokimura Michi. It notes that Fate's approach to gender has become less binary over time, with explicitly nonbinary characters like Chevalier d'Eon, Qin Shi Huang, and Romulus appearing in Fate/Grand Order. The piece acknowledges that not all of the franchise's gender experiments are tasteful, sometimes veering into fetishism, but concludes that the series shows a consistent, decades-long interest in exploring gender and identity.
May 30
Anime Feminist published a review of the first episode of the shojo romance series In the Clear Moonlit Dusk on January 15. The review describes the protagonist Yoi, a tall girl with a lower-pitched voice who has been nicknamed "The Prince" by her classmates. She is uncomfortable with the label but struggles to speak up. The episode introduces Ichimura, a popular boy also called "Prince," who is the first person to see past her reputation. The reviewer is of two minds about the premiere. On one hand, they value the story's exploration of how rigid feminine beauty standards can exclude girls from being seen as women. They note that Yoi experiences something like dysphoria due to being misgendered. On the other hand, the reviewer is disappointed that the series seems to be heading toward a romance that reaffirms Yoi's femininity rather than letting her embrace her boyish traits. They also criticize the character design, arguing that Yoi looks conventionally attractive with big eyes and soft features, which undercuts the premise of her being unfeminine. The reviewer finds the animation lovely and the leads have chemistry, but they remain frustrated with the broader trends the story represents. They place the show on their "It's Complicated" shelf.
May 22
Anime Feminist examines how the North American adaptation of Sailor Moon was reshaped by 1990s Western pop feminism, a market-friendly "girl power" that emphasized individual aspiration over structural critique, and how the show's commercial packaging reflected different assumptions about empowerment than the original Japanese version.
May 22
Kadokawa announced on Friday that Tōru Himuka's manga The Eccentric Doctor of the Moon Flower Kingdom is being adapted into a television anime. Koichiro Kuroda, an episode director on Detective Conan and Yowamushi Pedal New Generation, is directing the series at Studio Elle. Risa Mizuno, writing under the pen name Aki Mizuki, is handling series scripts. Akira Ono is designing the characters, Hozumi Gōda is directing sound, and Shiho Terada is composing the music with Highway Star producing. The main cast includes Rina Hidaka as Koyō, Takeo Ōtsuka as Keiun, Taito Ban as Shingdam, and Shōya Chiba as Shiei. A teaser trailer has been released, but no premiere date has been set. The manga began serialization in Kadokawa's Asuka magazine in 2018 and has 15 volumes as of May 2026. Seven Seas Entertainment publishes the English edition, which describes the story as a Chinese-style imperial medical fantasy about a young doctor and a crown prince confronting conspiracy and tradition.
May 21
HYBE announced a new Dark Moon installment, DARK MOON: The Witch of Yerasah, the first in the series to focus solely on werewolves. The multimedia project includes a web novel, animated music videos, video content, and visual artwork, and is produced in collaboration with K-pop group &TEAM. The web novel launched May 20.
May 20
The latest installment in the DARK MOON series, The Witch of Yerasa, began rolling out on May 18, 2026, with video content, a web novel, and artwork. It is a collaboration with global group &TEAM and is the first story in the series to focus only on werewolves, using a transmedia strategy across four formats.
May 17
Netflix confirmed on Thursday that its live-action series Teach You A Lesson will premiere on June 5, releasing a teaser poster and trailer. The series, previously referred to as Get Schooled after the original webtoon, follows Hwa-jin Na, a Teacher Rights Protection Bureau supervisor who resolves school issues with his own methods. The teaser shows scenes of classroom disruption, school violence, gambling, and organized crime. Moo-yul Kim plays Hwa-jin Na, Sung-min Lee plays Minister of Education Kang-seok Choi, Ki-joo Jin plays former special forces soldier Han-lim Im, and Ji-hoon Pyo plays civil servant Geun-dae Bong. Jong-chan Hong (Juvenile Justice, Mr. Plankton) directs, and Nam-kyu Lee (Behind Your Touch, The Light in Your Eyes) writes. The original webtoon drew criticism for portraying marginalized groups as villains and resolving conflict through violence. Director Hong has acknowledged these concerns and stated the drama adaptation will approach the material with greater sensitivity. Ablaze Publishing releases the series in print. WEBTOON Entertainment previously released part of the series in English digitally but has since removed it.
May 16
Yen Press announced on May 15 that it has licensed 11 manga and six light novel series for release in November 2026. The manga slate includes "Moscow 2160," a near-future story by Kumo Kagyu with art by Kōtarō Sekine; "Love at the City's Edge on a Moonlit Night" by Sakuhiro, about an onmyoji and a demon; "Terrarium in a Drawer," a collection of 33 short stories by Ryōko Kui of "Delicious in Dungeon" fame; "He Was My Brother" by Minoru Matsuda; "egg: I'm Your Child" by Sino Torino; "After-School Duty" by Meiji and Gakuto Coda; "Contract Sisters" by Hijiki; "Izumi and the Dragon Encyclopedia" by Nagimiso; "My Girlfriend Is a Colossal Cutie" by sanorin; "Tale of the Wizrain Kingdom: The Dragon Is the Bride" by Hyōgo Amagasa and sugino; and "Witch and Hound" by Rainy Kamitsuki and Minori Tsukahara. The light novel licenses are "Argonaut: Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? Tales of Heroes" by Fujino Ōmori; "The Story of the Moon Waiting for the Evening" by Akumi Agitogi; "Valkyrie Bullet" by Yomu Mishima; "On the Way Home After Defeating the Demon King" by Ichiro Sakaki; "Rise of the Lowborn" by Kosaka Hanane; and "The Demon King Seems to Have Infiltrated the Hero's Party" by Kamaseinuesu. Yen Press also plans an audiobook for Keiichi Hikami's "Elden Ring"-themed novel "See You at That Site of Grace After Work."